Feeding mechanism for container parts



1945- J. A. MOORE 2,387,766

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CONTAINER PARTS Filed Jan. 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fiwwa, 7

BY 4 ,y zq, 4 1 MAQZWQ A TTOE/YE'YS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CONTAINER PARTS 'Filed Jan. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 4; 7%?

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z; M /Z M ah Patented Oct. 30, 1945' FEEDENG DIECHANISM FOR CONTAINER PARTS James Moore, Cincinnati. Ohio, assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 9. 1943, Serial No. 471.905

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a feeding mechanism for can making machines or the like in which sheet material blanks to be operated upon are propelled along a predetermined path of travel in a continuous procession. and has particular reference to hold-down devices which retain the blanks in place while being advanced and which detect blanks of an abnormal thickness when such blanks enter under the devices.

In container or can making practice the flat sheet maferial blanks from which can partsare made are frequently conveyed through the various working stations of amachinc in a step-bystep manner. When stroke bars and the like are used for this purpose there is a tendency for the blanks to lift up and slip backward with the return of the bar on its return stroke. Thus irregularities are likely to occur which would afiect proper feeding. In the event that blanks of abnormal thickness are mixed with blanks moving through the machine, usually a separate device is required to detect such blanks so that they will not enter the working stations.

The present invention contemplates overcoming these difficulties by providing combination hold-down and detecting devices which are located adjacent the path of travel .of the moving blanks and which hold the blanks against movemerit while they are at rest. such devices serving as means for detecting blanks of abnormal thickness so that such blanks will be prevented from damaging the machine. I

An object of the invention is the provision of combination hold-down and detecting devices in a feeding mechanism for advancing blanks along a predetermined path of travel wherein the dcvices operate to hold the blanks during their rest periods in their advancement through the mechanism and simultaneously act to detect blanks of abnormalthickness. 7

Another object is the provision of such combination hold-down and detecting devices which stop the operation of the feeding mechanism in part or entirely and which operate ejector devices for expelling abnormal thickness blanks when such blanks are detected. thus preventing abnormal blanks from entering and damaging such or a subsequent operation machine.

Numerous other objects and advantage of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodime t thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a composite front elevational and vertical sectional view of a feeding mechanism embodying the instant invention. with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 as taken substantially along the broken lines 2--2 in that figure with parts broken away; and i Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken ubstantially along the broken lines 3-3 in Fig. 2 with parts broken away.

i As a pref erred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate the principal parts ofa feeding mechanism for advancing flat sheet metal blanks into a forming or other can making machine for converting the blanks into can or container parts. In such a feeding mechanism the blanks, indicated by the letter A, are fed in a continuous procession and in an intermittent or step-by-step manner along a predetermined path of travel. While the blanks are at rest during the intervals between their stepped advancement they are held against displacement by hold-down and detecting devices B. v

The hold-down and detecting devices B are arranged to detect blanks of abnormal thickness just prior to the blanks reaching a working station C. Upon detection of an abnormal blank the machine is immediately stopped and entrance of the blank into the working station is prevented. The invention is equally well adapted to stop the feed mechanism only, leaving the rest of the machine in operation, The detecting devices may be adapted to discard the abnormal blank without stopping the machine if such features are desirable.

The blanks A are fed longitudinally along a table I l which may be a part of the main frame of the machine (Figs. 1 and 2). This advancement of the blanks is effected by a reciprocating feed bar (2 havin spring-held, depressible feed dogs or fingers l3 spaced along the bar. The feed bar slides in a slideway M which is formed in the table I l. The bar is reciprocated through a forward or feeding stroke and thence through a return stroke by a connecting link I5, which is actuated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

As the feed bar l2 moves through a forward or feeding stroke, a blank A is advanced one step and as the bar returns, this blank is held stationary in the advanced position by the holddown device B until the next forward stroke. In

this manner the feed bar moves the blank in a st/ep-by-step advancement along the table toward the station C. On: each forward. stroke of the feed bar the first blank A in the line' is: placed in position at the station C to be'operated upon. During thisadvancement the blanks are guided by side guides l8, ls'formed integral with the table II.

At the station C th blanks 'are formed, by cooperating upper and lower die members, into can parts D; The lower members include a stationary die 23- and a die ring: 24' which1 surrounds the die. These parts are carried on and are secured to a machine main frame 25'.

The upper die members include a vertically reciprocable punch 23 carried in a holder 21 se-- cured to a slide 23; Thisslide moves in a slideway 32 in themachine main frame 25-. The slide is reciprocated through a downor working stroke and thence through an up or return stroke in any suitable manner in time with the movement of the feed bar I2.

Most of the movable parts of the: hold-down and detecting devicesB are housed in a recessed bracket casing 33, which is secured to the-frame 23 and which is fitted with a cover plate 34. The cover plate is bolted or otherwise secured to the casing and in spaced relation thereto, leaving:

an opening along the bottom and the ends. Within the space between the casing and its cover plate there is a plurality of hold-down fingers 33 and a hold-down and-detecting finger 33; The drawings show two such hold-down fingers 35 and one combination hold-down and detecting finger 33. These fingers are formed'as bell crank levers, each finger being carried on a pin 31 mounted in the bracket casing 33 (Fig. 1);

One leg of each of the bell-crank shaped fin-- gers 33, 33 extends along the path of travel of the blanks. The finger 33 is formed with a clamping foot 33, and finger 33 has a corresponding foot 33. The feet bear against the blanks when they are at rest and hold them down fiat on the feed table II. The other leg of each of the fingers 33, 33 extendsupwardly in substantially vertical position.

The upper ends of these legs of the fingers 33 are formed as rounded knobs 42 which are loosely disposed in slots 43 in an actuating slide 44. The upper end-of the upright leg of the finger is formed with a rounded knob 45 which snugly engages in a slot 46 f the slide 44.

Each hold-down finger 35 is under tension of The finger actuating slide 44 cooperates with an l auxiliary slide which is superimposed upon the actuating slide. These slides are located and opcrate in a horizontal groove or slideway 52 formed in the bracket casing 33. At times the two slides move in unison while at other times they move relative-to each othenas will be hereinafter fully explained. The auxiliary slide 5| is formed with as depending projection or lug 53- The slides 44. il whenfunctioning'asa unitary structure are held. together by a tension spring 53 (Fig.1). to spin 5Twhich depends from the bottom of the actuating 'slide 44. The other end of thespring. engages. overa. pin -53 which extends out from the'inner wall of. the bracket casing cover plate. 34. A stop lug 32 formed. onthe-outer end of the cover plate limits the outward travel of the slides against the pulli or the tension. spring 33.

The two slides 44; 5| as a unitary structure are reciprocated through a" forward or holding stroke each time the feed bar l2 completes a.

formedjwith: a tapered nose 33.. actuating dog 33 operates'in a vertical path of travel adjacent to but'not directly in line with. an. upright dog 33 formed on the inner end oftheauxiliaryslide 5|. The upper end of the dog" is formed, with a tapered nose 31 which is disposed slightly to therightof the tapered nose 33 on the dog 33, as viewed in Fig.1.

Hence when the punch slide 23 moves down through a working: stroke'to bring the. punch 23 into forming engagement with a blank'Athen in position in'the lower die member: 23, the. tapered nose 33 of the descending actuating dog 33 engages against the tapered nose 3! on the slide dog 33 and shifts the auxiliary slide 3|inwardly againstthe tension of the spring 33. This movement is toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1. The actuating slide 44 at such time. moves with the auxiliary slide, both slides moving'as a unitary structure.

This forward movement: or the slides 44, 3|

in their horizontal slideway I! in the bracket casing 33", rocks the hold-down fingers 33, 33 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Pig. 1) andv brin'gstheir clamping feet 33, 33 down onto the blanks whichhave just been deposited therebeneath. As the nose 33 of the actuating dog 33 passes by the nose 31 of the slide dog 33 and moves down along the straight inner surface of the slide dog, the slides come to rest and remain stationary in their shifted position. This takes place while the punch 23 continues its full downward travel into the die 23. The can part forming operation thus is brought about on the foremost blank in the die mechanism.

This stationary holding of the slides 44, 3| during the-forming operation, maintains the holddown fingers 33, 33 in engagement with the blanks. In this manner the blanks are held against movement while the feed bar l2 moves back through a return stroke.

Following the completion of the forming operation, the punch 23 moves up through a return stroke andelects the-formed can part D from the die in the usual manner. During this up-stroke of the punch, the actuating dog 33 first moves up along the slide dog 33 and then rides at the dog. thus releasing the slides and. subjecting the same. to the tension of the spring 33. The spring pulls the slides as a unitary structure back against the stop lug 32. and thus rocks the hold down fingers 33, 33 in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 1). This rocking of the fingers lifts their clamping feet 33, 3311p 08 the One endlof' the springis connected.

blanks andthereby releases the blanks for further advancement by the-feed bar l2, when it moves through its next forward stroke.

When a blank of abnormal thickness is inadvertently advanced with the other blanks it comes into position beneath the hold down fingers 35 without disturbing the usual conditions which obtain witha normal thickness blank. The loose 1% of the rounded knobs 42 of the fingers i'n theslots 43 of the actuating slide 44 compensates for any. changed finger position.

However" when the abnormal thickness blank comes into position under the clamping foot 39 of the detector finger 36, the extra thickness of the blank prevents the foot of the finger from movingdown to its usual position. Hence, further rocking of the detector finger is halted before the slides 44, 5| complete their forward stroke-under the influence of the actuating dog 63 carried'on the descending punch slide 28. This held position of the detector finger stops further movement of the actuating slide 44, the snug fit of the knob 45 of the finger 36 in its slot 46 preventing any loose play;

The stopping of the actuating slide, however, does not interfere with further shifting of the hold-down fingers 35. Their respective springs 41 complete the rocking of these fingers until their feet 38 engage the blanks therebeneath. Since the auxiliary slide 5| completes its stroke underthe action of the actuating dog 63, it shifts relative to thestationary slide 44 and the relative movement between slides takes place as the spring 55 is compressed.

Relative movement of the slides 44, 5| is utilized to stop the machine so that the abnormal thickness blank ma be removed. This prevents the blank entering the die where otherwise it would damage the die members. The auxiliary slide 5| carries a bell crank stop lever (Fig. 2') having a long straight edge arm H and a short operating arm 12-. This lever is mounted on a pivot pin 13 carried in a lug 14 formed on the inner edge ofthe actuating slide 44. The lug projects through an opening 15 cut in the bracket casing cover plate 34 so that the long arm H is located outside of the casing with its straight edge in substantial parallelism with the path of travel of the slide. The short arm 12 terminates in a rounded knob 16 which extends into a slot 11 formed in the actuating slide 44.

At its free end, the long lever arm l (Fig. 2) engages against the inner end of a push rod 1.. This rod slides in a long bearing sleeve 19 securee in a bracket 8| formed on the bracket casing cover plate 34. The outer end of the rod engages against a movable element 83 of an electric stop switch 84. The switch is secured to the side of the main frame 25.

This switch is exemplary of a suitable electrical control element embodied in the proper electric circuit or circuits which may include switch wires 85, 86 for performing the desired result of preventing'an abnormal thickness blank from passing into the machine. Such a circuit may include the electric motor for operating the machine or it may include other devices for stopping the operation of the feed bar I2 or for ejecting the abnormal blank from the machine. Since such control circuits are in themselves varied and well known further explanation is considered unnecessary.

Under normal operation of the machine as when blanks of normal thickness are advancing along the table into the working station C,

and the slides 44, Simove-as a unitary structure, the long arm ll of the stop'lever Ill-moving with the slides and merely riding along'the inner end of the push rod 18 without moving the rod. When an abnormal thickness blank is encountered and the bottom or actuating slide 44 stops moving while the upper or auxiliary slide 5| continues to move to complete its stroke, the resulting relative movement between the slides rocks the stop lever Ill on its-pivot pin 13.

This rocking of the stoplever swings its long arm 1| outwardly against therod l8 and pushes the latter against the movable element 83 of the electric switch 84 and therebyoperates the switch. It is this movement of the stop lever and the operation of the switch-that makes or breaks, as the case may be, the circuits connecting with the switch and thereby stops-the machine or otherwise preverits the abnormal blank from entering the working station C, as hereinbefore explained.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes-may be made in the form, construction and'arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing'all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks, the combination of a support for the blanks, means for advancing the blanks along said support, a blank hold-down device disposed adjacent said support and including a. pivotally mounted member for holding down the blanks during their advancement along said support and for detecting blanks having an abnormal thickness, and means operable in time with the advancement of the blanks for pivotally moving'sai'd member.

2. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks, the combination of a support for the blanks, means for advancing the blanks along said support,'and a blank hold-down device disposed adjacent sald support and including a plurality of ivotally mounted hold-down members for maintaining the blanks in engagement with said support while they are being advanced therealong, and means operable in time with the advancement of the blanks for pivotally moving said hold-down member, one of said members being adapted to detect blanks having an abnormal thickness.

3. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks, the combination of a support for the blanks, means for advancing the blanks along said support, a blank hold-down device disposed adjacent said support and including a pivotally mounted member for holding down the blanks during their advancement along said support and for detecting blanks having an abnormal thickness, means operable in time with the advancement of the blanks for pivotally moving said blank holding member, and instrumentalities operable by said member when an abnormal thickness blank is detected for stopping further operation of said feedin mechanism.

4. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks, the combination of a horizontal table for supporting a continuous procession of blanks being advanced therealong, a plurality of hold-down members pivotally mounted adjacent said table for holding the blanks against the table, a combination hold-down and detecting member also pivotally mounted adjacent said table for detecting blanks of abnormal thickness. an actuating slide disposed adjacent said hold-down members and engageable therewith for operating the same. an auxiliary slide movable with the said actuating slide for lifting said hold-down members durin the passage of blanks therebeneath along said table, one of said slides being moved relative to the other when said combination member detects a blank of abnormal thickness. and means operable by said relative slide movement for stopping further operation of said feeding mechanism.

5. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks. the combination of a horizontal table for supporting a continuous procession of blanks being advanced therealong, a plurality of hold-down members pivotally mounted adjacent said. table for holding the blanks against the table, a combination hold-down and detecting member also pivotally mount-ed adjacent said table for detecting blanks of abnormal thickness, an actuating slide disposed adjacent to and loosely engaging said hold-down members and tightly engaging said combination member, an auxiliary slide movable with the said actuating slide for shifting said members during the passage of blanks therebeneath, the said auxiliary slide also being movable relative to said actuating slide when said combination member detects a blank of abn'ormai thickness, yieldable means connecting said hold-down members with said actuating slide for maintaining engagement of the hold-down members with the blanks when the said combination member detects an abnormal thickness blank, and means operable by said actuating slide for stopping further operation of said feeding mechanism when the auxiliary slide moves relative to said actuating slide.

6. In a feeding mechanism for sheet material blanks, the combination of a table for supporting the blanks, a reciprocating feed bar for advancing the blanks individually along said table. a plurality of hold-down members pivotally mounted adjacent said table. a combination hold-down and detecting member also pivotally mounted adjacent said table for detecting blanks of abnormal thickness, a movable actuating slide disposed above said table and engaging said members for rocking them clear of said table during a feeding stroke of said feed bar and for returning them into holding engagement with the advanced blanks, an auxiliary slide superimposed upon said actuating slide, means for shifting said slides in unison to rock said members in time with the advancement of the blanks, a yieldable connection between said slides for allowing relative movement therebetween when said detecting member engages a blank of abnormal thickness. a stop lever pivotally carried on said auxiliary slide and engaging in said actuating slide and responding to the relative movement between said slides when an abnormal blank is detected. and an electric switch adjacent said stop lever and op rated thereby when the latter moves for stopping the feeding mechanism when a blank of abnormal thickness is detected.

JAMES A. MOORE. 

